Not everybody can afford a designer wardrobe. But with Siobhain Woodhouse’s guide to affordable fashion, you too can have those runway essentials.

The Burberry Trench Coat

Stylish and sophisticated, the trench coat/mac is a versatile piece of clothing suitable for all season (and you never know how unpredictable the British weather is going to be!) One of my favourite things about the trench coat is how the belt cinches it in at the waist, making it figure friendly for everyone.

Famous fans include style (and future) queen Kate Middleton. After Kate was spotted in a Burberry mac two years ago they flew of the rails, and a few weeks later it appeared that Zara Phillips had taken a leaf out of Kate’s glossy fashion book, as she was too papped in a mac at Cheltenham races. At £650, it’s slightly above the normal price range, but fear not! ASOS do a similar one for just £55. The coat comes in two colours, black and camel, although either would suit almost any outfit. Wear unbuttoned with a sheer blouse and jeans in spring for a classy yet chilled-out look, or throw on a woolly hat and scarf in winter to keep cosy and stylish.

Of all of the classic designer handbags, I think it’s safe to say the Birkin is the designer ‘it’ bag. From the french designer powerhouse Hermes, the Birkin is the epitome of class. But you pay for it, too. The cheapest one I could find was £6,500 – you could buy 100 Burberry macs for that! However, prices can be over £100,000, in which case it’s a good job there’s this luscious look-a-likey from J by Jasper Conran Designer for Debenhams. At £88, it’s a bit more expensive than your average high street handbag, but is made from natural leather so will probably last a while. The stitching is to die for, and the metal clasp mimics that on the original Birkin perfectly.

The original iconic clothing item. The jacket first hit the rails in 1954 and after a revival from the fabulous Karl Largerfield, the older generation are pulling them back out their wardrobes and the younger generation are running to the shops in the hope of bagging a new fashion investment. First time round the jackets came in shades of grey, black or white, perfect for adapting and matching them to other outfits. This time round, imitations can be found everywhere, many of them brightening the previously rigid hues of the tweed material with red and pink. I prefer sticking to something that mirrors the original boucle more precisely – if it ain’t broke don’t fix it, right?! As this jacket is pretty hot right now I had a wide of options to chose from when it came to finding its high street twin.

The jacket on the left is from New Look and you can grab for just £24.99! I love the panelling and piping which give it a more up to date look. This jacket would look amazing with some simple black cigarette pants. The jacket on the right is an absolute steal from Apricot at just £12! It’s thick hem pays homage to the original Chanel version (pictured centre). The jacket is lined, making it that extra bit sturdy.

The nude Louboutin heel is the ultimate staple footwear. It’s colour means it’s easily adaptable to any outfit and it also gives the illusion of lengthy legs. A pre-pregnancy Kim Kardashian was never seen out without them and other celeb fans include Emma Stone, Blake Lively and Olivia Palermo to name but a few. The shoes retail for around £550, something you can probably save for (if you don’t take a holiday for a few years!) The good news is that its twin is for sale at Kurt Geiger. For £75, you can bag these suedette shoes. I adore shoes from Kurt Geiger; my first pair of heels from there are still going strong after three years of rowdy nights out. These shoes are perfect for those of you that don’t want to save up for the real version (understandably). The only give away that that they’re not the real thing would be the lack of a red sole. Last year, Christian Louboutin won a high profile copyright court case against YSL after they brought out their own red soled shoes. No wonder they are the only red soled heels around!